03.09.1999: Cracovia enters Extraliga
Despite acquiring 2 top Czech players, SMS failed to qualify for the new Polish Extraliga. The 8th place will be taken by Cracovia. A short tournament took place in Nowy Targ from 29th to 31st of August. Four teams competed for the last free place in the newly formed Extraliga. The teams were: SMS SAA Krynica (Warszawa), Cracovia Krakow, Zaglebie Sosnowiec and Polonia Bytom.
For most of the games followers Polonia and Zaglebie were non-factor teams and everyone's eyes were turned on Cracovia and SMS for it was between them that the battle was really to take place.
After 2 rounds it was clear that Cracovia would qualify (which came as quite a surprise) since it won the games against Zaglebie and SMS. Neither the presence of the current World and Olympic champions Milan Hnilicka and Tomas Jelinek (both lent to SMS for 3 qualifiation games only!) nor two penalty shots against Cracovia could help the SMS team win.
And thus the team from Krakow could allow themselves a loss in the last game against Polonia.
The final standings are as follows: (Results here)
1. KS Cracovia Kraków
2. SMS SAA Krynica (Warszawa)
3. STH Zaglebie Sosnowiec
4. Polonia Bytom
So the following teams will participate in the Extraliga this season: (Schedule here)
1. Unia Oswiecim
2. KTH Krynica
3. Podhale Nowy Targ
4. RKS Stoczniowiec Gdansk
5. KKH Katowice
6. GKS Tychy
7. SKH Sanok
8. KS Cracovia Kraków
Wojtek Drzazgowski
Polish Staff Member EH.N
Wiktor Pysz - a 50 year old citizen of Nowy Targ - was nominated as Poland's national team coach by the PZHL (Polish Ice Hockey Federation) last Saturday. He replaced Ludek Bukac of Czech Republic, whose contract had expired. by Tadek Bacal19.06.1999: Poles name new coach
But is was Unia Oswiecim's coach - Sidorenko - who was everyone's pick in the coach nomination race. Further candidates were Safonow and Podhale's new Slovakian coach, Skokan. Podhale's or Unia's coach would become national and league team's coach simultaneously if elected. But PZHL decided that Poland's team coach should not have other responsibilities.
Wiktor Pysz used to play in Podhale, Cracovia and Legia. As a coach he worked with Podhale and led it to Poland's championship. He was also coach of the Polish national U18 and U20 teams. He also coached German teams - Stuttgart, Augsburg and Mannheim. After his return from Germany Wiktor Pysz worked in School of Sport Champions (SMS) in Nowy Targ for two years.
Translated by Wojtek Drzazgowski
And so it happened... from June 1st Milan Skokan will step in as a coach of Podhale. And he sure has o lot of players to choose from ! Everyone loaned to Cracovia or SMS for the last season will be - at least temporarily - back. And all the foreign players - Vitaly Semenchenko (Ukraine), Sergei Antipov (Kazakhstan) and a new one on the roster - Slovakian left winger Pavel Fedor from Spiská Nová Ves will be available too. by Tadek Bacal10.06.1999: New Coach in Nowy Targ
The new coach of KS Podhale has been working with Slovakian ice hockey players for 15 years now. He used to be the head coach for the Slovakian national B-Team, and teams from Poprad, Liptovský Mikulá and - most recently - Spiská Nová Ves as well.
Text translated by Wojtek Drzazgowski.
Unia Dwory Oswiecim have defended the title of Polish Champions from last year. In the decisive fourth game (March 9) they just crushed KTH Krynica 8-0 at home (there were 5 thousand fans watching the game - which is a huge number in Polish hockey). by Sylwek Cyba15.03.1999: Unia Oswiecim are the Champions !
In reward for their effort the players will collect a 200,000 PLN (about 50,000 US$ - magical quantity for Polish hockey) prize money to share. Third place went to Podhale Nowy Targ, who defeated the dark horse of the playoff - Stoczniowiec Gdansk.
Podhale Nowy Targ - Polish Junior Champs
Tymbark-Podhale Nowy Targ won the Polish U-20 champion title in the final tournament held in Gdansk. In the gold medal match they beat KKH 100% Hortex Katowice 5-3. Podhale played extremely well in the second period, which they won 2:0 and this was a decisive point for their final success. The tournament's top goal scorer was Podhale's Robert Smreczynski, who scored 8 goals.
Here's the final order of the Junior competition:
1.Tymbark-Podhale Nowy Targ
2. KKH 100 % Hortex Katowice
3. STH Zaglebie Sosnowiec
4. Unia Dwory Oswiecim
5. BTH Micronel Bydgoszcz
6. Stoczniowiec Gdansk
7. MOSM Bytom
8. MHKL Torun
